Organization of the Trilliant Ring
The Trilliant Ring is an interstellar Mega-Corporation in the Acheron Rho sector, formally known as the Trilliant Ring ISC. A newer member to the sector, the Trilliant Ring provides the rich and powerful with everything they need from augmentations, to recreational pharmaceuticals, to luxury yachts - even customized military equipment. Unlike conventional corporations, the Trilliant Ring doesn't have external owners or shareholders, nor does it always adhere to a rigid hierarchical structure. Most Founders and members of its Upper Echelon carry self-imposed titles which can have little or no bearing on the organization as a whole. They maintain offices across the sector, but most of their manufacturing, design, and research projects are conducted in their expansive facilities above the remote planet of Trillia IX, in the Igliza system (Hex #0209 ). The Trilliant Ring is renowned for its technological prowess, R&D investment, and unparalleled access to pretech. Regularly hiring the most esteemed researchers and scientists from across the Empire, Trilliant Ring products frequently push the boundaries of modern technology. Famously, they are the sole market supplier of Life-Extension Therapy, allowing anyone with the credits to dramatically extend their natural lives. Titles Most members choose a role and designate themselves as the “Chief X Officer” of a specific task, function, or division. Formal designations are formatted as “Employee Name, Title - Subdivision”, though such titles are rarely enforced. The organization discourages, but does not prohibit, using the term “Director” to avoid confusion with ACRE. Members of the Upper Echelon insert themselves into a role within the loose operational structure as necessary for their latest pet project or creative interest. Some example designations include: * Dr. Ive Hardstein, Lead Scientist - Cybernetic Entertainment * Dr. Niklaus Oberon, Chief Science Officer - Surface Research * Ethelind C. Riverty, Chief Financial Officer - Corporate Finance Structure Due to the temperamental and constantly changing desires of its Founders and Upper Echelon, the structure of the Trilliant Ring has two parts, a class structure ("class") and a role structure ("role"). These two structures overlap one another, such that each and every employee has both one class and one (current) role within the Trilliant Ring. Generally the class structure indicates seniority within the organization while the role structure indicates their primary function, immediate chain of command, and product-lines they are working on. Class Structure The class structure - divided into the Upper Echelon, Lower Echelon, and Functionary Class - dictates what liberties an individual is permitted to take within the Trilliant Ring. It is a rigid and strictly enforced structure meant to measure seniority, accolade, remuneration, trust, and freedom. However, there is not always a linear relationship between seniority and freedom. Those at the top and bottom of the class hierarchy, the Upper Echelon and Functionary Class, are provided the most freedom. The Lower Echelon, the linchpin of the class structure are expected to focus single-mindedly on their subdivision's goals and tasks. Members of the Upper Echelon tend to insert themselves randomly into the role structure, whereas members of the Lower Echelon have firmly established positions in charge of a specific subdivision. Meanwhile, members of the Functionary Class, while encouraged to explore different careers and move from subdivision to subdivision, are essentially worker-drones. They are provided little to no leeway in decisions or executive power in the Trilliant Ring and are expected to dutifully complete any tasks assigned to them. Moving up or down within the Trilliant Ring's class structure is a major consideration. No one is hired or promoted to the Upper Echelon without a majority vote among every Upper Echelon member and any member in good standing can veto a candidate. Similarly, no one can be hired or promoted to the Lower Echelon without direct backing from a member of the Upper Echelon and a majority vote among every member of the Upper Echelon currently in Igliza. In the past, some members of the Upper Echelon have waiting for precarious moments of attendance before putting their candidates forward. Upper Echelon Composed of the Trilliant Ring’s Founders, upper management, and division executives, members of the Upper Echelon carry on organizational and managerial roles within the company. Little is understood about the structure or purpose of individual roles as they are constantly in flux. Generally, as long as at least one person from the Upper Echelon is willing continue bankrolling a venture, it will continue to operate and function. Membership in the Upper Echelon is incredibly exclusive and anyone who has been promoted to this lofty rank is considered “made”. They observe the full legal protections of the Trilliant Ring’s army of litigators, are provided complementary Life-Extension Therapy as long as they remain with the organization, and are regularly visited by brand enforcement officers to ensure they embody the Trilliant brand in their daily lives. Lower Echelon Below the Upper Echelon is a legion of the finest creative minds Acheron Rho has to offer. Recruited from across the sector, these members are sometimes referred to as the Artisan Class - whether they be doctors, designers, cultural ambassadors, scientists, or even insurance officers. Whatever their calling, they are employed and sculpted by the Trilliant Ring to be masters of a specific product-line or function within the organization. While significant leeway is given to lesser members of the Trilliant Ring, only those who have honed their focus and found their calling are promoted into the Lower Echelon. Many lesser employees change and adapt their ventures until they have found one that is right for them. Once established, members of the Functionary Class who have demonstrated exceptional product knowledge and creative expertise can be promoted. Members of the Lower Echelon are expected to be absolute masters of their craft and constantly striving for self-improvement. They must understand each aspect of the product’s application and function. They are given command of a vast wealth of workers and resources, as well as absolute autonomy to redesign their subdivision, in order to perfect and redesign their product to its truest potential. Functionary Class Below the Lower Echelon is the Functionary Class. These nameless and faceless workers are the cogs in the machine. Their roles are unthinkably numerous in service to the vast array of Trilliant Ring products. VTOL technicians, middle-managers, cruise ship operators, layout designers, trapeze artists, PR professionals, gene-therapy researchers, and even massage therapists may be found in the Functionary Class. Trilliant Ring employees are encouraged to pursue careers in a variety of fields, jumping from project to project in many specialties, from biological engineering, to resort management. Together they are responsible for the operation of all completed Trilliant products, services, and experiences currently on the market. Functionary Class employees who are not assigned to a specific division will sport the generic Trilliant Crest on all uniforms. The corporation’s Functionary Class typically lives in apartments which, though modest by Trilliant standards, are substantially larger and better furnished than is typically the case for workers in other parts of the sector. Although the Lower Echelon also live in the megacity Paradiso, they typically own massive suites of apartments which are highly customized to suit their needs and preferences. Role Structure In contrast to the Trilliant Ring's rigidly defined class structure is a pliable set of organizational positions. These indicate an employee's primary function, immediate chain of command, and product-lines they are working on or responsible for. Generally, the Trilliant Ring's roles are stratified into three levels. The divisions of the Trilliant Ring are organized around a major function such as Engineering. Each division is cordoned off into sections, which collect groups of similar products. Similarly, each product or product line fits within a subdivision, headed up by a member of the Lower Echelon, which either reports to a section or a division. Divisions The Trilliant Ring is - currently - arranged into five major divisions to accommodate its vast array of products including Engineering, Entertainment, Marketing, Operations, and Trilliant R&D. Members of these divisions wear special badges to signify their established roles within the organization. These divisions are formed of a group of Upper Echelon members who carry out internal functions such as a management, internal research, budget, planning, etc. Sections Occasionally a member of the Upper Echelon gets it into their head that they want to run a subdivision directly or work on one set of products in particular. To maintain the ability of the subdivision to organize itself effectively, the Upper Echelon member helms a section instead and a number of related subdivisions are organized underneath it. This collection of related subdivisions each have their own Lower Echelon manager, with autonomy to reorganize. Sections may also be created if a member of the Lower Echelon is given jurisdiction over multiple subdivisions. Subdivisions Generally only one rule applies to subdivisions: A subdivision focuses on a product or product-line and is headed by a member of the Lower Echelon - an absolute master of a product-line. Once that requirement is fulfilled, managers of a subdivision are given complete autonomy to design or modify how they are organized Autonomous Subdivisions Some third-party or arms-length organizations exist within the Trilliant Ring, or an Upper Echelon member's specific activities are potentially embarrassing to the organization as a whole. In this case, autonomous subdivisions are created. While they are organized within Divisions for clarity, their decisions can only be enforced or overturned by Upper Management. Upper Management Technically, above all of these roles in the hierarchy is "the pool" of Upper Echelon members. If a situation arises such as a promotion to the Upper Echelon, an egregious act that could affect the Trilliant Ring as a whole, or something else of considerable magnitude, the issue is escalated beyond the Division level. Generally these issues are put to a simple majority vote and in some special cases, each member is given a veto. In technicality every Division is accountable to the pool, but in practicality, they rarely escalate issues to unless they are specifically asked to. Current Divisions Engineering Division The engineering division is in charge of all projects which are currently in development but have not yet reached the market. Made up of engineers, doctors, and creative problem solvers; employees in this division are focused entirely on making the impossible possible. Sometimes spending decades working on single mega projects, staff in this division often burn out and seek early retirement due to the stresses of the work environment and are accordingly paid more generously. Once a project is complete the staff members of the engineering division are whisked off to another unfinished project and other divisions take over marketing, operations, and distribution. Engineering employees sport the Trilliant Cog on all uniforms. Current Sections within Engineering * Cybernetics * Biomedical * Electronics * Vehicles * Origination Entertainment Division The entertainment division handles non-advertising content creation, accommodations, and tourism operations for the Trilliant Ring. This division is tapped into the zeitgeist of the sector and is charged with the production of movies, games, virtual reality spaces, and other interactive content for Trilliant products. They also maintain a series of luxury hotels, spas, and accommodations across Trillia IX. This division is chiefly responsible for Trillia Cruise Lines and its many attendant logistics and entertainment needs. This includes a legion of talent agencies for finding, booking, and recruiting the latest forms of entertainment for cruise shows and venues. It also covers upkeep, staffing, and crew requirements for nearly 2300 licensed Trillia Cruise Lines mooring berths across Acheron Rho. Entertainment employees sport the Trilliant Star on all uniforms. Current Sections within Entertainment * Content Development * Apparel & Fashion * Autonomous Subdivision: Trillia Cruise Lines Marketing Division Crafting the public face of The Trilliant Ring, the marketing division is made up young, energetic and artistic leaders. Marketing is a sprawling and diverse division under whose umbrella falls small specialized departments such as asset retention, public relations, and special interest advocacy. These departments recruit celebrities, brand ambassadors, and court nobles seeking luxury contracts for specialty work. Every advertisement, teaser, social media fad and sector wide trend that involves the Trilliant Ring begins in the boardroom and work lounges of the marketing division. Due to the weight and importance placed on Trilliant's brand identity, its marketing division sports the highest security and secrecy of all divisions. In the words of a former Trilliant CEO "The peacock guards his feathers most of all for without them he is only a bird". Marketing employees sport the Trilliant Ouroboros on all uniforms. Current Sections within Marketing * Branding * Media Relations * Networking Operations Division The operations division keeps the Trilliant Ring running and operating at peak capacity. These activities cover a wide range of different internal functions, including data analytics, administration, corporate finance, human resources, supply chain, security, and facility management. Members of the operations division provide the tools needed by the Trilliant Ring to keep firing on all cylinders. Through robust analytical measurement, operations ensures that other divisions are properly staffed, have adequate space and physical capital to meet demand, and manage the ever shifting material needs of their projects. Operations also ensures that the Lightway, planetary ring, and local government of Trillia IX continue to function effectively. Operations employees sport the Trilliant Sigil on all uniforms. Current Sections within Operations * Administration * Data & Analytics * Faciltiies * Security * Human Resources * Production * Autonomous Subdivision: Facets of Charity * Autonomous Subdivision: Trilliant Recruitment Strategies Facets of Charity The Trilliant Ring maintains an array of charitable ventures throughout the Acheron Rho sector under the brand of “Facets of Charity”. Technically a subdivision of Corporate Finance (Operations), these ventures often generates revenue for the Trilliant Ring. In exchange for generous donations from the public coffers of planetary governments, the Trilliant Ring graciously commissions public projects that utilize its advanced technology - ensuring projects are sole sourced from the Trilliant Ring. The organization uses this subdivision largely to placate the High Church and other critics of the Trilliant Ring, while also ingratiating itself with local governments. Some examples of its “charitable” projects include: * Venture for the Betterment of Berkmann III * Venture for the Advancement of MES Treatment Trilliant Archaeological Data Archive See main article here: Trilliant Archaeological Data Archive The Trilliant Archaeological Data Archive (TADA) is a subdivision created during the tail end of The Trilliant Expanse's completion. It aims to assist the other divisions of the Trilliant Ring by locating historical information which can be used to support their claims and desires and fabricates such information whenever it cannot be found. Trilliant Security See main article here: Trilliant Security The Trilliant Ring maintains two divisions of a limited security force. The Trilliant Warden Division (who are more commonly referred to as "Wallflowers") are responsible for the safety Trilliant Ring facilities and personnel, both on Trillia IX and off-world, including the protection of Facets and all other Trilliant property. Trilliant's special forces are known as the Aatxe. The Aatxe handle only the most sensitive and complex operations, which may include assassinations (typically only of freemen who have stolen Trilliant intellectual property), on-site corporate espionage, sabotage, extractions, and more. Trilliant Recruitment Strategies (TRS) See main article here: Trilliant Recruitment Strategies Trilliant Recruitment Strategies - better known as TRS - is a subdivision of the Trilliant Ring Operations division, responsible for external recruitment. Originally developed as an inside-joke between the Founders, the subdivision's subversive methods have become infamous among new recruits. This subdivision is called upon whenever someone outside the Trilliant Ring is recruited directly into an Upper or Lower Echelon position. Everyone subjected to this process can keenly recall the story of their recruitment. Trilliant R&D The research division works developing and testing conceptual products before true manufacture. Trilliant R&D is notoriously methodical about its work and often focuses on perfecting a single concept for decades before handing the technical instructions off to the engineering division to implement. These staff are at the top of their respective scientific disciplines and have benefited greatly from Trilliant Life-Extension Therapy. Many of the senior R&D staff have held their positions for over a century and few staff in this division ever retire. Most of the current CEOs and board members began their careers in Trilliant R&D. R&D employees sport the Trilliant Atom on all uniforms. Current Sections within Trilliant R&D * Pharmaceuticals * Foodstuffs * Home Appliances * Weaponry * Nanotechnology * Experimental Technology * Autonomous Subdivision: Trilliant Think Tank * Autonomous Subdivision: Surface Research Ex-Miscellanea GetGuild Cult Some former executives have splintered off, separate from the Trilliant Ring, with a single-minded focus on attaining access to The Guild's advanced technology. These individuals have become so obsessed with The Guild's technological marvels that they began worshiping them as gods. The splinter group - known as GetGuild - has been slowly purged from the ranks of the organization and pushed off of Trillia IX. They have established a refuge for their membership on the nearby refueling station, Jeans 7. Category:The Trilliant Ring